The Suicide Squad

After proving he can make two movies based on little known Marvel characters be hugely successful with the two Guardians of the Galaxy films, James Gunn does the same with DC characters by switching from the MCU to the DCEU for The Suicide Squad. While a followup to the first film in 2016, this entry is way different from its predecessor in so many ways, such as through its storytelling, tone, and visual style. The film sees the eponymous team being sent to the fictional South American nation of Corto Maltese wherein they have to deal with its corrupt government, as well as their own teammates, in order to deal with secret experiments. Gunn is a director who's not afraid to make comic book based movies and have the most insane and obscure subjects from them become part of the movies. The fact that Warner Bros. let him do whatever he wanted for this film, after hiring Gunn to do whatever project he wanted, and he chose to do a hard-R rated extremely violent but also silly sequel to one of the weakest entries in the DCEU just shows the great tenacity that Gunn has and how that shows with this entry. Compared to the first film, this one is absolutely insane and filled with so much absurdity, love and respect to the source material, and filled with enough debauchery to make the original seem tame. Gunn's love for obscure and often silly characters means we get to have adaptations of characters that would have been considered too much for live action, such as Polka-Dot Man as played by David Dastmalchian and the giant alien starfish Starro the Conqueror, and he manages to make them believable. While not everyone from the first movie returns, with some exception including Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, and Jai Courtney, much of the new cast brings their absolute best, such as Idris Elba as Bloodsport, John Cena as Peacemaker, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, and Sylvester Stallone voicing King Shark. Whether anyone in the large cast appears all the way through or briefly, every single one gives strong performances. But the standouts that steal the movie are Margot Robbie, as expected due to her performance as Harley Quinn, and Cena as Peacemaker for just how over the top his character is and the insanity that goes in playing someone who believes in extreme violence to bring peace, which is no surprise that he got his own spinoff show. Besides the cast and Gunn's writing and directing, the editing, cinematography, music, and effects that went into this movie is just as fresh and engaging. Editors Fred Raskin and Christian Wagner combine comic book like cuts and chapter titles with great pacing to make a huge improvement from the first while giving this one its own identity. The effects are incredible and not only make characters like King Shark and Starro feel real, but give us some of the most fun use of gore and violence in any superhero movie. The cinematography from Henry Braham gives us some of the most fresh looking and absolutely beautiful shots that the DCEU has ever given us. John Murphy's score has a great mixture of drama, comedy, warmth, tragic, and even epic music combined with great use of licensed songs that compliment what's happening onscreen. That's not to say that it's completely flawless, of course there are some things wrong but they don't detract as much. My biggest gripe would be that although I loved how a lot of characters died, there were two that I thought were a mistake to kill off. For anyone worried that they don't want to see this movie because of how they felt about the first, there's no worrying as The Suicide Squad is not only a huge improvement over the first but another sign of the DCEU learning from its past. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. The Green Knight

3. The Suicide Squad

4. Nobody

5. Black Widow

6. A Quiet Place Part II

7. Raya and the Last Dragon

8. Jungle Cruise

9. Cruella

10. Wrath of Man

11. F9

12. Snake Eyes

13. Old

14. Space Jam: A New Legacy

The Green Knight

The Green Knight is a medieval fantasy that's based on a 14th century poem that tells the story of Gawain, King Arthur's nephew who is challenged by a mysterious and magical warrior named the Green Knight. After Gawain cuts off the Knight's head, the warrior picks it up and tells his opponent that in a year to look for him and accept a similar blow. After a year passes, Gawain, though reluctant and fearful, sets off on his quest to meet with the knight and throughout the journey gets caught up in other adventures and meets peculiar people. If any movie could be best described as a poem told through the lens of a camera this would be one of them all thanks to David Lowery's detailed direction, superb script, and slow but well-paced editing. Dev Patel, who plays Gawain, absolutely shines in this movie as he's able to play someone who wants to be considered a hero, but often then not tends to show how cowardly and selfish he can be. There's also the Green Knight himself, played by Ralph Ineson, who often gives such a profound and terrifying performance despite so little screen time. Just as shining as the cast, the true to life production values, superb cinematography by Andrew Droz Palermo, the minimal but well done effects, and the haunting score from Daniel Hart all elevate this production even further. If anyone expects a very standard hero story should look somewhere else as what this movie depicts with Gawain is far from a chivalrous knight of the Round Table. He often agrees to do simple, though personal, tasks by others and expects some grand reward in exchange. Often times his behavior does alleviate the movie from becoming too dramatic and gives it some good comedic moments. Another unique thing to take away is the absolute beauty when it comes to the scenery wherever Gawain goes, as he traverses the mountains, meets giants, and travels throughs lush forests. King Arthur has been the source to many stories told through the years, but The Green Knight shows there's more to tell about those around him than the standard Round Table or Excalibur. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. The Green Knight

3. Nobody

4. Black Widow

5. A Quiet Place Part II

6. Raya and the Last Dragon

7. Jungle Cruise

8. Cruella

9. Wrath of Man

10. F9

11. Snake Eyes

12. Old

13. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Snake Eyes

A reboot to the G.I. Joe films and Hasbro's toy based franchise, Snake Eyes is the origin story to the silent ninja. Henry Golding stars as the title character wherein after his father is murdered as a child, Snake Eyes travels the world in search of the killer as he gets recruited by the Yakuza, joins an ancient ninja society, and gets in the middle of a rift between the Joes and Cobra. As standard with the previous films back in 2009 and 2013, this one isn't what one would call smart but it's at least fun. The story is very standard but tells itself really well, especially when Snake Eyes goes through the training to be accepted into the Arashikage clan. Though how it portrays the main character himself is very questionable as it often feels like we should be rooting for him when we really shouldn't due to his actions, and that the character who eventually becomes Storm Shadow is treated like a villain despite him being right. While the story is interesting, revealing that the Joes and Cobra are already well known organizations is a missed opportunity due to not being about their origins. Though often filled with cliche and over expositing dialogue, it's honestly not that bad and the actors all make it work. Despite Snake being a character known for not showing his face and being silent, Golding at least gives a good performance that makes you wonder how a sequel would lead to that. Though a big complaint is that he doesn't get to where his trademark suit until the very end as sequel bait. The other cast members, that include Andrew Koji and Samara Weaving, all give strong performances but the ones that steal the film are Iko Uwais as Hard Master and Peter Mensah as Blind Master. Being a movie about a ninja society there is of course well choreographed fight scenes, whether hand to hand or with weapons, but a few get bogged down through constant camera movement and over editing. One of the biggest achievements that this movie has is through the combination of the production values and cinematography to perfectly capture the settings that are meant to be seen on screen. Despite taking some questionable liberties from what the franchise has done, being rather formulaic, and a main character with dubious morals, Snake Eyes still has the fun energy that the last two films are known for but with a more serious tone that elevates it just enough from them. Over all: 73%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Nobody

3. Black Widow

4. A Quiet Place Part II

5. Raya and the Last Dragon

6. Jungle Cruise

7. Cruella

8. Wrath of Man

9. F9

10. Snake Eyes

11. Old

12. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Jungle Cruise

Much like the Pirates of the Caribbean films before it, Jungle Cruise is a Disney movie inspired by one of their most famous attractions, and much like Pirates it does add more lore and mythology into its story than the ride had. Set in 1916, Dwayne Johnson plays Frank, a steamboat captain who gives tourists rides throughout the Amazon River, while Emily Blunt plays Lily Houghton, a botanist who hires Frank to help her and her brother trek the river in search of a mythical tree with healing properties. All throughout the adventure they have to contend with a German aristocrat, played by Jesse Plemons, who wants the tree to help Germany win the first World War and immortal conquistadors who have been cursed for hundreds of years due to their own search. The film has a mixture of many adventure stories, not just the Pirates series, but also the Indiana Jones and Brendan Fraser Mummy movies. While the story is familiar, some of the way it is told is still fun and does have some surprising moments that are cleverly hinted throughout. The cast, also involving Jack Whitehall and Edgar Ramirez, is fantastic with Johnson and Blunt's chemistry being spot on. While there are three people involved in the screenplay, it does have a good story with some witty lines, even if some jokes are a little corny but at least appreciated when some of them come from the ride itself. The action scenes are all well choreographed and exiting, though often falter due to a lot of heavy CGI use. Director Jaume Collet-Serra creates a modern action movie with some old school sensibilities thanks in large part to Flavio Labiano's cinematography and James Newton Howard's scoring. The idea of creating a movie based on an attraction may seem a little crazy, but Jungle Cruise is one of the exceptions that as long as you make the story fun and engaging then it shouldn't matter what it's based on. Over all: 96%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Nobody

3. Black Widow

4. A Quiet Place Part II

5. Raya and the Last Dragon

6. Jungle Cruise

7. Cruella

8. Wrath of Man

9. F9

10. Old

11. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Old

M. Night Shyamalan's latest film, Old, is a supernatural horror thriller with themes relating to the concept of aging. Initially focusing on a family on vacation at a tropical resort, when they and other groups of people are brought to a secluded beach, all of them realize that the area is causing them to age rapidly. Unable to leave from where they entered due to suffering from blackouts and someone from afar spying on them, the families must figure out how to escape the beach before they die from advanced aging or any illnesses that they may be suffering from. The movie, itself based on a Swiss graphic novel called Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters, has an interesting story in it and while Shyamalan's writing does succeed in making the premise frightening as it is, some of it fails due to a lot of awkward dialogue and certain things that the characters do that make no sense. What helps in keeping you in your toes when watching is the combination of Mike Gioulakis's cinematography and the score by Trevor Gureckis. For the most part, the actors involved all give great performances despite some of the odd dialogue and Shyamalan's penchant for very subdued and quiet performances. Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps, who play the main couple Guy and Prisca, both have fantastic chemistry and make the arguments between them and their eventual forgiveness that much believable. But the biggest standouts are Alex Wolff and Thomasin McKenzie, who play the teen versions of Guy and Prisca's children, as they make the idea of young kids forced to age up so realistic. As standard for M. Night, there is a twist to this movie, though it is small as it's less about revealing what actually causes time to move so fast and more about how this is used by the people heading the resort, which is silly but actually has some good motivations behind it. Old, while having an interesting premise and strong performances with a mysterious mood, a lot of it is bogged down due to some of Shyamalan's creative choices. Over all: 72%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Nobody

3. Black Widow

4. A Quiet Place Part II

5. Raya and the Last Dragon

6. Cruella

7. Wrath of Man

8. F9

9. Old

10. Space Jam: A New Legacy

Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

Unlike the first FCBD comic from 2017, Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale just tells one story that is initially set during the events of the show and then through flashbacks years before the start of the series. When Betty wants to interview Pop, the owner of the local diner, for an article to celebrate the town's 75th anniversary, he tells her several stories that include his dad forming it originally as a pharmacy and soda shop, several famous figures stopping to eat, a reporter going missing after he went to look for a mythological creature, and changing his place into a diner so as to compete against a fancy Italian restaurant. But the biggest story Pop has involves a mysterious man who walks in one night and asks him for a burger due to not having a reservation at the restaurant. When the man admits how delicious the burgers were he tells Pop not to worry about the restaurant and then leaves. A week later, the restaurant was destroyed by a fire and more people came back to Pop's prompting him to add new food and menus. As Betty wonders about the man's intentions, Pop asks her to leave as he's getting ready to check on inventory. Once Betty leaves, Pop starts to make burgers and fries with the mysterious man entering and sitting in the same spot as he did before. Pop's narration reveals the man has come in contact with other people just like him and in exchange for a burger once a year he'll ensure his success, with the window reflection revealing horns. This comic has a lot of tantalizing moments helped by its smart writing and highly stylish atmospheric tone. Pop's stories are a nice departure as he rarely gets any big focus in the actual show as well as showing how Riverdale has changed in 75 years. Unlike the more realistic depictions shown in the show, this issue's focus on the more supernatural is well done and still has a bit of the eery and mysteriousness that still connects it to its origin. With a story from series creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and writing done by Will Ewing and Ross Maxwell, this FCBD issue not only has great dialogue but the use of flashbacks continues to add to the mystery of Riverdale without giving us too much or too little. What helps is Joe Eisma's artwork and the coloring from Andre Szymanowicz both give us something so brisk and beautiful while still giving us something mysterious to look at. Though if there's one complaint it would be a brief shot of Pop looking at some criminals that shows them as bullet ridden and then back to normal that's never explained. So other than that small moment, I do think that Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale is a well made comic that does an amazing job at keeping you engage with such dark mysteries. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

2. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

3. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

4. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

5. DC Universe: Legacies #1

6. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

7. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

8. Champions (2020-) #1

9. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

10. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

11. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

12. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
13. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
14. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

15. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
16. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
17. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

Space Jam: A New Legacy

25 years after the original, Space Jam: A New Legacy is a spiritual sequel that replaces Michael Jordan with LeBron James as he and the Looney Tunes have to compete in another basketball game against an artificial intelligence that acts as Warner Bros.'s studio software. The A.I., called AI-G Rhythm and played by Don Cheadle, has kidnapped LeBron's son out of anger because the basketball player dismissed him and threatens to erase the Tunes and hold hostage other people if he wins. Having grown up with the first film and watching it so much to the point that the VHS tape eventually broke, I was really curious how this one would do. That's not to say that I think the first Space Jam was an all out masterpiece, as it does have several issues but love how bonkers it is. Right from the beginning I knew it wasn't going to hold up as while it does show James's childhood different from Jordan's, the credits sequence doesn't have a hugely memorable song and relies too much on video game graphics over images of LeBron's play footage. While one can agree that James has more experience in acting compared to Jordan when making the movie, and he does give a good performance even if at times he still seems wooden, he doesn't have the charm or charisma of his predecessor. The voice actors for the Tunes, including new addition Zendaya as Lola, all capture their characters perfectly and Cheadle makes for a really fun villain. Not only does the traditional animation work really well for the classic cartoons but the shift to CG for them is just as good. One huge credit I have to give is that while it has a similar story to the 1996 original, it's not an exact copy and goes on different directions. Unfortunately, not all those directions work as prior to the actual game LeBron and Bugs have to travel the virtual space composed entirely of Warner Bros. properties for the rest of the Tunes. In theory, this should have worked but totally falls flat on its face mainly due to simply relying on old footage of movies from say Casablanca and The Matrix without much interaction or new footage. And even when there is interaction, like in DC World or when the spectators of the game are all Warner owned characters, a lot of the time they're just standing and moving around in a way that just seems so awkward. You could cut out a lot of these cameos and references and it wouldn't really affect the movie all that much. The actual game itself is not that bad, with some new ways to play thanks to its video game aesthetic but the opposing team, the Goon Squad, not as memorable as the Monstars. Director Malcolm D. Lee does manage to make a lot of what's onscreen, between live action and huge CGI effects, feel natural. Though the biggest flaw for this movie is the ending as they make it seem like something bad has happened to Bugs and yet LeBron barely reacts to it and suddenly he's fine right out of the blue without even making us think it would stick. While the first film is a product of its time but managed to become so memorable despite that, Space Jam: A New Legacy tries so desperately to fit with its time that it looses what made the first such a classic but still can be given a lot of credit for not being just a rehash. Over all: 68%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Nobody

3. Black Widow

4. A Quiet Place Part II

5. Raya and the Last Dragon

6. Cruella

7. Wrath of Man

8. F9

9. Space Jam: A New Legacy